Remember My Smile
by nakama-is-family
Summary: Thirteen years. She waited thirteen years to meet the man her father had died saving. Orphaned at eight and raised by Marines, Donquixote Arabellum proposes an interesting question to Trafalgar Law: Let her join the crew and learn why her father sacrificed himself. LawxOC, Slow burn. Rated M for now until I make some decisions.


The sound of crunching gravel drew her attention, and she lifted her head. She leaned against the brick structure that Sengoku. Her eyes narrowed slightly as the approaching man leaned against what remained of a brick building.

"Want some rice crackers?" Sengoku asked, holding out the plastic bag. She perked up and snuck one from the bag, popping it in her mouth before assuming her previous position. Her eyes carefully examined the man as she chewed quietly. Trafalgar Law certainly looked like an angry man, but she stayed composed, her eyes boring into him. If this really was him, this was what she had been waiting for for thirteen years.

"No thanks. Just start talking." Her eyes narrowed at him at the brusque tone, but she did not move from her position. Bitterness started roiling within her, but she did not move. Did not flinch. Law's eyes lingered on her briefly before his eyes locked onto Sengoku again.

"One day, a Navy solider died. He was someone special to me. To us." Sengoku gestured to the woman beside him, and, once again, she felt Law's eyes linger on her, before going back to Sengoku. "I met him when he was a kid and I thought of him as my son. He was honest and had a stronger sense of justice than anyone." She briefly tuned out what Sengoku was saying and shifted on her feet. If she listened to this story again, she would break down and she did NOT want to do that in front of a Supernova and a former Warlord.

"Yeah, that's me!" She tuned in just in time to hear Trafalgar Law speak up, and her head snapped up, looking between him and her grandfather. Sengoku's free hand rested on her shoulder briefly, as he ate another rice cracker with the other.

"I thought so." Sengoku replied, and her ears filled with ringing. Thirteen years. It had taken her thirteen years to get to this point. To finally find the dying kid that her father had sacrificed himself for. Her eyes glazed over with tears, and she blinked them back. This was not the time to cry. This was NOT the time to cry. The rest of the conversation between her grandfather and Trafalgar was tuned out, and she rubbed her hand against her forehead. A cigarette found itself between her lips and she lit it (miraculously not catching her shoulder on fire) to try to calm her nerves.

"I have told you before not to smoke, Ara." Sengoku said to her, snapping her out of her reverie as he pulled the stick from between her lips and dropped it on the ground.

"And I've told you that you're an old ass." She replied, crossing her arms once more and looking back up at him. His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, before he looked back at Law.

"Don't try to find a reason for someone's love." He said to Law, as she pushed off the wall to stand up straight. "I would have imprisoned you to have more time to talk, but, ironically, you're one of the only people I can share the memory of Rosinante with, even though you're a pirate." The blonde woman shifted on her feet once more, looking between the two. Law looked stunned.

Sengoku started to walk away, as did Law. The blonde woman hesitated before she ran closer to Trafalgar Law.

"Hey! Can I talk to you?" she asked, jogging towards him. As she approached, she noticed that she was taller than him by an inch or two. Law stopped and turned to face her, his good hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword. He eyed her carefully.

"I want to join your crew." She started bluntly, and he stopped. She had clearly taken him aback by the statement, and his hand fell from the hilt of his sword.

"And why exactly should I let a Marine join my crew?" he asked her coldly, and a small smile touched at her lips.

"I'm not a Marine. Sengoku is my grandfather. He's raised me since I was six." An inkling of recognition flashed in Law's eyes, and he turned fully to face her, his eyes examining her.

"My name is Donquixote Arabellum. My father was Donquixote Rosinante." She told him, watching him carefully for his reaction. He blanched, before composing himself. "I was eight when he died."

"I did not know he was a father." His voice was carefully composed, and she smiled bitterly.

"I don't doubt that for a second. He didn't want anyone to know I existed. But, I believe he fully intended to bring you to live with me once he cured you." She told him, placing another cigarette between her lips. He watched as she unknowingly lit her shoulder on fire.

"Well, you're definitely his." He murmured, putting out the fire expertly. She didn't even budge.

"But why would you want to be part of my crew?" he asked her, an undercurrent of curiosity in his voice.

"Well, for one, I did some recon and found out you don't have a weapons specialist. And your blade and sheath are in deplorable condition." She told him, and he stiffened. His hand tightened around his hilt once more in indignation. "And, for another, I lost my father because he sacrificed his life to save you. I want to know the person that my dad died for. I want to know why." One of his eyebrows cocked at her answer.

"I can't bring Corazon's daughter with me. It's too dangerous, and you're only nineteen." He said to her, and she felt a small flare of anger deep in her chest.

"I was raised by Marines. I know how to defend myself, he spent my entire life teaching me to protect myself if the Donquixote family found out I existed. I'm a weapons specialist, and I'm the same age as your ally." She shot back. He groaned, turning away from her.

"We can take you off Dressrosa, but you're not joining my crew. Not yet." She smiled brightly and started to follow him. Before she could go more than a few feet, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face. Her shoulder-length blonde hair flew up and covered her face as she slowly rose from the ground. "I'm fine."

He shook his head as he walked away, not bothering to offer her a hand to help her up.

"You're definitely his."


End file.
